| Before I begin...I am a Post Viral Fatigue | | | | NOTE ------Having said that, one of the most |
| Syndrome / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferer | | | | common side effects of St John's Wort is fatigue, |
| myself but I am not medically trained! I am | | | | which is obviously relevant when you suffer from |
| merely passing on to you, things I have read and | | | | ME/CFS! So if you do try St John's Wort, keep an |
| learnt which may interest you. I am not a 'health | | | | eye on your energy levels. If they plummet even |
| expert', so please - if you come across anything | | | | further, it may be a sign to rethink whether you |
| in this article that you find interesting, do a little | | | | should be taking it or not.What's more, St John's |
| research on it yourself and contact your doctor | | | | Wort **has** been found to interfere with some |
| or health professional about it before taking any | | | | prescription medicines. Studies published in the |
| advice from this article.Depression, anxiety and | | | | Lancet and the British Medical Journal have shown |
| sleep disorders can all be symptoms of ME | | | | that St John's Wort speeds up the breakdown of |
| Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Whereas some ME | | | | medicines in the body, leading to lower levels of |
| CFS sufferers may never experience depression | | | | the drugs in the blood. So if you're taking other |
| and anxiety as symptoms of their ME/CFS, | | | | medication or supplements of any kind, that's |
| others unfortunately do.For example, according to | | | | another factor for you and your doctor to |
| Dr Shepherd in his book 'Living With ME', true | | | | consider before taking St Johns Wort.------ SIDE |
| clinical depression probably affects between | | | | NOTE ------ |
| 25-33% of ME/CFS sufferers at some | | | | There are other side effects and dangers of St |
| stage.Many ME/CFS sufferers are prescribed | | | | Johns Wort. You can find out more about some |
| antidepressants to help them sleep and to ease | | | | of these on this page: SIDE NOTE ------As with |
| their fatigue (even if they are not depressed). But | | | | taking any new substance for the first time, the |
| although prescribed antidepressants do help | | | | best thing you can do is to approach St Johns |
| **some** ME/CFS sufferers, others find that | | | | Wort with caution.In essence, you should **not** |
| they experience bad side-effects.St Johns Wort | | | | take St John's Wort until you have checked with |
| (also known as Hypericum perforatum) is an | | | | your doctor that it is safe to do so. It's also often |
| interesting natural alternative to prescription | | | | advised to start slowly with a low |
| antidepressants.Many medics seem to say that it | | | | dosage.Although sometimes it gets remarkable |
| has far fewer side effects, yet it apparently | | | | results, sometimes St John's Wort does nothing. It |
| works just as effectively as common SSRI | | | | really is down to the individual. But research |
| antidepressants such as Prozac, Paxil/Seroxat and | | | | suggests that you do need to take St John's |
| Zoloft. In fact, according to Dr Charles Shepherd | | | | Wort for a number of weeks in order for it to |
| in his book 'Living With M.E.' (mentioned above), St | | | | work.Bottom line?Always, ALWAYS check with |
| John's Wort seems to have a lower incidence of | | | | your doctor first before taking St Johns Wort. |
| side effects (around 20%) - much lower than that | | | | And if you do decide to take it, keep an eye on |
| seen with conventional antidepressant drugs | | | | your energy levels. If your fatigue worsens |
| (around 60%).----- SIDE NOTE ------ | | | | noticeably, then just be aware that it might be |
| For more information about the 'darker side' of | | | | the St Johns Wort that's causing it.And if you do |
| SSRI antidepressants visit: SIDE NOTE ------With a | | | | decide to try St Johns Wort, remember that |
| 2,400 year history of safe and effective use, the | | | | research shows that you need to take St Johns |
| use of St Johns Wort has risen dramatically | | | | Wort for a few weeks in order for it to start |
| recently, especially in Britain. And in Germany, | | | | working.-----Copyright, Claire Williams, 2003-2005. |
| they apparently use St Johns Wort a lot to treat | | | | All Rights Reserved.-------** Publication Guidelines |
| depression, anxiety and sleep disorders, all of | | | | **The article above may be freely reproduced |
| which, as mentioned earlier, can be symptoms of | | | | provided that:(1) you only mail to a 100% opt-in |
| ME/CFS.St John's Wort has both anti-viral and | | | | list; (2) ALL links areLIVE hyperlinks (3) the article |
| anti-depressive properties and has been used by | | | | is published in its entiretyincluding the title, |
| Europeans for centuries as a remedy for:- sleep | | | | copyright notice, & the author'sbio & resource |
| - depression | | | | box (which must be placed directly belowthe |
| - anxiety | | | | article).-----Claire Williams is editor of sleepydust.net |
| - PMS | | | | and has suffered from Post Viral Fatigue |
| - menstrual cramps | | | | Syndrome since 1995.She created sleepydust.net |
| - menopausal stress | | | | to help ME / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and |
| - irritability | | | | Fibromyalgia sufferers deal with their condition - |
| - neuralgia | | | | from handling their money worries, to recovering |
| - tension------ SIDE NOTE ------ | | | | from their illness. |
| To find out how St Johns Wort works visit: SIDE | | | | |